The Stonecutter
Traditional | Japan
A stonecutter wishes to be someone greater each time he sees more power. But will getting everything he wants truly make him happy?
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
Curious spider Anansi finds a magical rock that puts animals to sleep; he tricks them but is eventually outsmarted.
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
A Bat, Thorn Bush, and Seagull started a business, but their ship sank, making the Bat hide, Seagull search, and Thorn Bush cling to fabric.
A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.
A clever jackal in search of an easy meal watches two fighting goats, but his greed leads to a painful lesson.
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
Once upon a time, there was a poor man who cut stones for a living. Every day, he went to the mountain, cut stone blocks, and sold them in the market. He was happy with his life.
One day, he passed by a rich man's house. He saw the rich man sitting comfortably in the shade, with servants bringing him food. The stonecutter sighed and said, “The rich man is better than me. If I were rich, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain heard him and granted his wish. Suddenly, the stonecutter found himself in a beautiful house with servants bringing him food. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But after a few days, he saw the king's palace from his window. It was even bigger and more beautiful than his house.
“The king is greater than me,” he sighed. “If I were the king, I would be truly happy.”
Again, the spirit of the mountain heard him and made him the king. He sat on a grand throne, and many servants obeyed his every command. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But soon, the sun shone so brightly that he had to hide inside.
“The sun is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were the sun, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit heard him once more, and suddenly, he was the sun, shining brightly over the earth. People hid from his heat, and he thought, “Now I will be truly happy.” But then, a cloud covered him, blocking his light.
“The cloud is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a cloud, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain turned him into a cloud. He poured rain on the earth, and people ran to shelter. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But when he rained on the mountain, the mountain stood tall and strong, unaffected by the rain.
“The mountain is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a mountain, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain made him into a mountain, tall and mighty. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But soon, he noticed a stonecutter chipping away at him, cutting stones from his side.
“The stonecutter is greater than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a stonecutter, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain heard him again and turned him back into a simple stonecutter. The man smiled and was thankful. From then on, he never wished to be anyone else, knowing that being himself was enough to be truly happy.
Of Crows And Owls
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A Dog and A Butcher
A hardworking Butcher's shop is visited by a stray dog that steals a sheep's heart, prompting the Butcher to be more vigilant.
A Dog, A Sheep, and A Wolf
The Dog borrowed food from the Sheep, forgot the debt, and refused to repay, leading to an unfair court decision against the innocent Sheep.
A Gardener and His Dog
A dog falls into a well, and the gardener, while trying to save him, gets bitten due to a misunderstanding, leaving the dog behind.
A frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.
A king's pond frightened the princes with a mistaken turtle monster, but the clever turtle escaped and swam back to safety.
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
A sow refuses a wolf's offer to watch her piglets, seeing through the wolf's true intentions and protecting her young.
Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
A majestic Mountain with strange noises drew crowds of curious people, but their long wait revealed a humble Mouse instead.
A strong Wolf believed he was a Lion and joined real Lions, only to realize he was just a regular Wolf among them.
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